"I left Ben Roethlisberger. If you're going to leave a quarterback like that, you better be sure that you're going to go to someone that can play at a high level," Cotchery told Panthers.com. "We have that here with Cam Newton. I've got 10 years in the league, so hopefully I can help him and we can grow the same bond that I've always had with quarterbacks. Hopefully we can make this thing go in a special way."

Cotchery, 31, led the Steelers with 10 receiving touchdowns last season and had 46 catches for 602 yards. Earlier this week, the team also lost wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to the Denver Broncos. Sanders had 67 catches for 740 yards and six touchdowns in 2013.

Their departures leave a major void in the Steelers’ receiving corps for 2014. Behind Pro Bowl starter Antonio Brown, the team only has Markus Wheaton, who had six catches for 64 yards in his rookie season last year, and Derek Moye (two catches for 20 yards) on the depth chart.

Free agent wide receiver Lance Moore visited the Steelers this week, but he left without a deal being announced.

Steelers 2014 free agent tracker (UPDATED)

1 of 37

The Steelers are making some tough roster decisions for the 2014 season. See which free agents are moving on to other teams and which players are staying in Pittsburgh.